Biography

Build the Culture. Live the Culture. Differentiate!

Candid. Passionate. Relevant. Doug Lipp is on a crusade to help organizations strengthen their corporate culture, boost business performance, and unapologetically, have fun while doing it.

Doug is a distinguished international consulting, eight-time author, and former head of training at the legendary Disney University. His latest book is the bestselling Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World’s Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees.

At age 29, Doug’s celebrated talent catapulted him to the helm of the legendary Disney University training team at Walt Disney corporate headquarters.  Fluent in Japanese, Doug also helped Disney open its first international theme park as a member of the Tokyo Disneyland start-up team.

Drawing on his 30 plus years of combined experience at Disney and in private practice, Doug inspires and challenges hundreds of organizations worldwide. In presentations, he shares how Disney overcame spectacular strategic challenges to unleash one of the most improbable success stories in corporate history.

Through riveting examples and powerful, relevant stories about innovation, service, value and leadership, Doug pulls back the curtain and reveals the behaviors, tools and attitudes that are representative of cultural excellence at Disney and other great institutions. He also discusses common organizational traps that undermine companies and impede their ability to build a thriving and sustainable culture.

Consistently ranked as one of the best presenters every time he speaks, Doug painstakingly researches and customizes each of his presentations. He underscores how a company’s current culture is affecting its business, and then provides insights and actionable ideas on how they can build an even better business based on leadership, teamwork and innovation. After his presentation, which includes experiential exercises and participant-centered activities, you will have a blueprint for creating and perpetuating a culture of significance unique to your organization.

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Videos

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Lessons From Disney U: The Wonderful World of an Enduring Brand

Disney stands the test of time as the ultimate icon of applied imagination. How did Walt Disney create “The Happiest Place on Earth?” What are the secrets behind its employee development dynasty? And how does it reinforce its organizational values, culture and brand on a day-to-day basis? During this animated and high-energy program, you’ll learn how Disney continues to capture and inspire the hearts and minds of thousands of employees around the globe through an unwavering devotion to the core values established by Walt himself. Learn how Disney University Founder Van France has brought to life—for generations of employees—Walt’s timeless values of Innovate, Support, Educate and Entertain.

Organizational Culture: It's More than a Coat of Paint

Leaders build the culture, live the culture, and reinforce the culture every single day. Leadership has always set the tone within an organization, but today there’s growing consensus that a winning, sustainable culture is only achieved when it is ‘actively’ steeped throughout the entire organization. In this program, Doug persuasively demonstrates that organizational culture is much more than a coat of paint daubed on the walls of a building. Culture is the cornerstone of success and supports your business performance and all operations. As such, it’s uniquely yours and almost impossible for competitors to copy.

The Magic of Exceptional Customer Service: Keep “Plussing” the Show

How has Disney managed to keep its employees and customers so fiercely devoted to the brand? How has it managed to continually top the charts as one of the world’s most loved brands? How can you learn from its practices to catapult your organization’s service strategies to even higher levels? Learn the four components that are at the heart of Disney University: Innovate. Support. Educate. Entertain. Discover how legendary service is a delicate balance between art and science. “Doing the ordinary in an extraordinary fashion” isn’t rocket science; customer service excellence must be ingrained throughout your culture. In this ever-changing economy, more companies than ever are realizing the strategic importance of transforming their service culture to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Even Monkeys Fall From Tress - Learn From Mistakes and Embrace Change

The best and the brightest make mistakes. However, the ability to learn from setbacks, then bounce back even stronger is the hallmark of market leaders. Join Doug as he discusses Walt Disney’s unrivaled focus on creating one of the strongest teams of dreamers and doers in the world. “Change or perish” defines the innovative Disney culture. Doug takes you behind-the-scenes to discover how Disney pushed through obstacles by relentlessly challenging the status quo in literally every corner of the company.

Beyond Stuck in the Middle Seat: Welcome Change and Take Control

What's the worst place in an airplane? The middle seat! Why? You're literally stuck in a rotten place, possibly for a long time, and you can't do anything about it. Or can you? During this presentation, Doug uses the middle seat as a metaphor for what happens to all of us in life. How do you turn setbacks into opportunities for growth? When in a situation that you "can't control," what possible options do you have? Join Doug for some fun as he addresses how to get unstuck, and unleash your personal power and deal with organizational change.

It’s a Small, Small World: The Globe is Shrinking. Is Your Business Expanding?

Walt Disney had it right all those years ago ... "it's a small world after all." And guess what? It's getting even smaller! Mobility and greater access to multicultural markets is heralding in exciting, new opportunities for organizations willing to raise their diversity 10. In this powerful and cutting edge presentation, Doug shows that even for organizations not selling globally, the face of the customer is changing. Gone are the days of managing, or marketing, to a homogeneous group. Customer groups, employees, channel partners, and shareholders now represent different cultures, generations, and ways of thinking. Organizations must adjust, adapt or perish when battling for market share.

Testimonials

Thank you again for a great presentation. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive!
– Zillow
Working with Doug was really a walk in the park. He was able to tie-in to our theme and he captivated the audience. Doug had the CEOs and CIOs nodding and laughing! I couldn’t ask for more! I’ve gotten only positive reviews of his speech. I have been part of the organizing team of this event for the past 5 years and I am not kidding when I say this was the most engaged our audiences have ever been. We are truly grateful for all he did to make this event possible.
– Globe Telecom
Thank you for all you did to motivate our managers and crew during our recent CMOR. I enjoyed hearing about your expereinces with Disney U … there were so many relevant connections to the work that our teams do every day. I have no doubt that everyone left your presentation feeling engaged and empowered to improve the customer experience they provide. I thank you for that.
– U.S. Executive VP, Chief Operation’s Support Officer, McDonalds 2013 Combined Manager/Operator Rally (x3) -Central, Eastern, Western
Thank you for exceeding our expectations! Your Guest Relations program truly broadened our employees’ professional understanding and expertise in the field of service and exceeding customer satisfaction. Your program has been received most favorably by everyone who attended.
– Vice President, Pebble Beach Company
I very recently had the pleasure of having Doug Lipp speak to about 110 of my HR professionals from the US and Canada. Not only was he an impeccable speaker and presenter to drive thought proving questions and cultural change. But he is also an amazing person. I greatly look forward to future dialogue and work with Doug Lipp.
– Caterpillar
I want to extend my personal gratitude for your innovative, engaging and albeit, informative presentation. We have received many positive comments regarding your presentation and the out-of-the-box thinking style that you offered. Everyone can agree that your suggestions certainly drove home the point of proactive company culture.
– AAA-Western Regional
hanks for bringing your inspiring message to Mutual of Omaha last week! The feedback from your session has been glowing. Your message was spot on — very timely and relevant for where we are on our strategic journey. Thanks for lending your time and talents to our organization.
– Mutual of Omaha
Thank you for the outstanding presentation to the PF Chang’s team. You were spot on and did a great job of linking your core message to our evolving mission – it sounded so seamless! Your discussion was insightful and made me smarter. In addition. I deeply appreciate your time and investment in delivering a quality message that mattered.
– PF Chang’s
Doug is a very charismatic public speaker who captivates the audience with his entertaining and interactive stories. Doug did a fantastic job inspiring and motivating the team to strive for a higher level of customer service. He gave our team some different views that were very insightful and useful for our staff and organization.
– National Director, Sales & Operations, Best Buy
Thank you for participating in our meeting on cultural learning. You were superb and enlightening.
– Stanford University

Booksby Doug Lipp

Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World’s Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees

THE CHANGING FACE OF TODAY’S CUSTOMER HOW DISNEY UNIVERSITYDEVELOPES THE WORLD'S MOST ENGAGED, LOYAL, AND CUSTOMER-CENTRIC EMPLOYEES

EVEN MONKEYS FALL FROM TREES STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING AND RETAININ A DIVERSE CUSTOMER AND EMPLOYEE BASE IN YOUR LOCAL MARKET

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE SEAT WHY TRAVELING CAN REALLY SUCK!

DANGER AND OPORTUNITY RESOLVING CONFLICT IN U.S.-BASED JAPANESE SUBSIDIARIES

The Way to Global Management: Resolving Conflict in Us Based Japanese Subsidiaries

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Blog Posts

 

Finding Your Purpose with Small Acts of Kindness

What does it truly mean to find your purpose? Many people believe purpose is tied...

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Take Ownership and Transform Your Life Today

What’s holding you back from living the life you’ve always wanted? If you’ve ever felt...

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Reflecting on 2024: Key Insights and Trends for Event Professionals

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, it's the perfect time to...

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Innovative Insights to Keep Your Event Attendees Engaged

Engaging attendees at an event is no easy feat, especially in today’s fast-paced world where...

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Powerful Ways to Unleash Your Creativity with Kyle Scheele

Creativity is often misunderstood. Some see it as a gift reserved for artists or visionaries,...

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Your Event, Their Mission: Elevate Human Rights to Center Stage

"Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement...

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